Hospitalizations in the region are on the rise, but "that's something that happens after the peak of any outbreak," according to YKHC's Dr. Ellen Hodges. "Our hospitalizations do continue for a while because hospitalizations and deaths are lagging indicators, meaning they come after the peak of cases when our vulnerable patients can be hospitalized and die."
It’s been a week since a fire destroyed Tununak’s washeteria. Last year, in a similar incident, a fire destroyed a washeteria in Tuluksak; the governor issued a disaster declaration to each village, but the timeline was very different.
“If we choose not to wear masks, you could be taking away someone else's choice to be able to go do things like go to school, or go to the post office, or go to the store,” YKHC's Brian Lefferts said. “So choosing to wear masks as a community is a way that we can all come together in solidarity."
Last week, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced 8,950 new COVID-19 cases across Alaska, a significant drop from the week prior. During that time, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta made up 9% of the state’s new cases.
Four individuals were hospitalized in-region and one was medevaced due to the virus from Jan. 24 to Jan. 30. Hospitalizations have not been this high in a one-week period since early in the delta surge, when YKHC reported seven hospitalizations and one medevac between Oct. 9 and Oct. 15, 2021.